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On Strangford Lough between Gransha Point and Marlfield there were 22 Great-Northern Diver and 2 Black-throated Diver south of Gransha Point. An adult Little Gull was at Marlfield. (Richard Weyl)A flock of 30+Twite were giving excellent views in the car park at Whitehead the flock seem to be staying around the boat yard. (Garry Armstrong/Phillip West)A Great Skua was on the water between Donaghadee lighthouse and the marina. Also in the area were 4 Red-throated Diver and 37 Pale-bellied Brent (Terry Paton).

Up to 5 Little Egret have been at fields at Killowen, Rostrevor (Sylvia Blue)

Ardglass harbour, Down still had a 1st winter Iceland Gull (Keith Bennett)

The Glossy Ibis was still at Toome, just to the west of the bridge. (Seamus Burns)

The Black Redstart was still at Newcastle Harbour (Christine Cassidy & Lindsay Hodges)

Ballycarry had a juvenile Greenland Whitefront and a Pink-footed Goose. The Iceland Gull was still at Whitehouse (Wilton Farrelly)

A Black Redstart was at Belfast Harbour estate this afternoon - on Heron Road inside the storage tank compound almost opposite the brick pumping house (no. 28). 100+ Goldfinch also present in that area. (Ian Enlander)

16 Sandwich Terns were at the Portaferry marina. This I suspect is the entirety of the wintering population in the area and equals my highest tally in winter. (John Wilson Foster)

A 2nd winter Little Gull was at Quintin Bay and 2 Stock Dove on the shore at Ballyquintin Point (Richard Weyl)

An Iceland Gull was at Dargan at 4pm and 4 Grey Plover were seen at Castle Espie (Gerard McGeehan)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming at Malone Golf Course in Belfast (Sam Thomas)

2 Great Northern Diver were at Ballyholme Bay (George Henderson)

The male and female Bramblings were still coming to a garden in Antrim and there were aloso over 200 Goldfinch (Mark Smyth)

A garden in Carnalea, Bangor had a pair of Brambling and 4 Tree Sparrows (Derek Polley)

3 Goosanders were at Lough Island Reavey,Co Down 1 male and 2 redheads.
The Black Redstart was showing well at Newcastle Harbour, also seen there were 15 Purple Sandpipers and a Kingfisher. 18 Great Northern Divers and 1 Red-throated Diver were off shore and over 200 Common Scoters were just south of the Harbour.(David Nixon)

The 1st winter Kumliens Gull was still at Ballygally Co Antrim and the Ring-billed Gull remains at Carrickfergus, the Common/Ring-billed Gull hybrid was also present.(Tom Ennis)

A pair of Common Scoter was at Lough Beg (very rare there and possibly a site record). Also present were a male Ring-necked Duck, a Ring-necked x Tufted Duck hybrid and a female Smew (David Steele).

The Spoonbill was yet again at Castle Espie.

A Sandwich Tern was at Sandy Bay Larne. 3 Greenshank and 10 Whooper Swans were at Glynn (Gerard McGeehan)

A high count of over 800 Shelduck and 1200 Dunlin were feeding at Dargan Bay. (Adam McClure)

Large numbers of snipe were arriving in rough ground beside ASDA Antrim today. Yesterday a mixed flock of about 200 lapwing and golden plover were in a winter grain field west of Ballywalter (Mark Smyth)

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19 Ruff (possibly more) were seen at Diamond Lane, Aghalee today. Two Greenland-whitefronted Geese were with around 150 Greylags at the same location. (David Nixon)

A flock of 24 Snipe were feeding in a field near Ross Park Hotel, Ballymena this morning. (Adam McClure).

A female Blackcap was visiting a garden in Gransha, Bangor. (Stuart McQueen).

Castle Island Road on the way down to the Quoile had 100 Linnet, 100 Chaffinch, 5 Skylark and a few Redwing and Fieldfare. Prospect Road at Ballygowan had 150 Redwing, a few Fieldfare and a Sparrowhawk (David Clarke).

Approximately 20 Twite were at Whitehead seafront, see picture below. (Nigel Moore).

Thanks to David for this record pic of some of the Ruff, to Jeff Silvers for the picture of the Sparrowhawk, to Christine Cassidy for the picture of the Buzzard, to Stuart McQueen for the picture of the Blackcap, to Dick Glasgow for the picture of the Redshank and to Nigel Moore for the picture of the Twite from Whitehead:

Two Woodcock and a Greenshank were at Lower Lough Erne Islands RSPB Reserve today (Brad Robson)

Today at Myroe there was a male Red Breasted Merganser, 3 Little Egrets, approx 200 Brent Geese, 6 Greylag Geese, Greenshank and 2 Buzzards. Also in a flooded field to the west of Ballerena there were about 100 Whoopers. (Sean Hickey)

Thanks to Garry Armstrong for this pic of an Iceland Gull at Ardglass:

The east end of Ballycarry Bridge had a male Yellowhammer - scarce in these parts. Ferris Bay on Islandmagee had 2 Great Northern Divers close inshore with 1 Sanderling and 3 Purple Sandpiper on the shore (Ian Enlander)

A Great Northern Diver was in Portrush Harbour (David Hill)

A Buzzard was perched on the fence at the Mater Hospital in Belfast. (Billy Hamilton)

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This site is run by a voluntary group of birders documenting and recording information about the birds and wildlife of Northern Ireland. We provide information on rarities and interesting sightings. The sightings on this blog are not accepted records - rarities need to be confirmed, see https://nirbc.blogspot.co.uk/